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There are thousands of fitness apps available, ranging from extremely basic to immensely thoughtful. Some workout apps simply offer on-demand classes you can browse, while others allow you to virtually work with a one-on-one personal trainer. This AI-based powerlifting program is the closest thing you can get to personalized coaching from an elite athlete without actually paying for personal coaching from an elite athlete, and this is why we chose it as one of the best online workout programs. In my JuggernautAI review, I cover the ins and outs of the app—plus my results so far.
This Review Was Not Written by AI — But We Did Train With It
I spent six weeks using JuggernautAI, doing three workouts per week. I followed the same process any other gym-goer would: I signed up for the app, completed the assessments, and followed the workout program the app built for me. I’ve also tried a handful of other training programs, including MAPS Anabolic and NCFIT, as well as programming at various CrossFit gyms. And, as a personal trainer, I have an eye for some of the best personal training apps.
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JuggernautAI
JuggernautAI
Product Highlights
- Use code “GARAGEGYM” for a discount on JuggernautAI training.
- Smart powerlifting and powerbuilding program from Chad Wesley Smith, an accomplished strength athlete and owner of Juggernaut Training Systems.
- Uses information such as your weight, training history, current fitness level and training load, personal records, goals, and ideal training schedule to create strength and hypertrophy blocks to prepare you for powerlifting or bodybuilding meets.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Extremely intuitive app experience
- Super smart and responsive AI
- Offers a two-week free trial to see if you like it
Cons
- Not the same as working with a real coach
- Dashboard is a little confusing at first
- Only for strength training (no cardio workouts)
Bottom Line
JuggernautAI compiles your information to create a personalized powerlifting and powerbuilding workout experience.
A Quick Look at JuggernautAI
JuggernautAI is one arm of Juggernaut Training Systems, which is owned by Chad Wesley Smith, an insanely accomplished strength athlete who holds personal records like a 440-kilogram (970-pound) squat with wraps. In addition to his own successes, Smith has coached dozens of athletes to champion status. In other words, the man knows what he’s doing.
He’s blessed the everyday strength athlete with JuggernautAI, an app-based strength and hypertrophy (muscle-building) fitness program. That’s right: You don’t have to be a high-profile athlete to benefit from Smith’s expertise. You can get it right on your phone through the super-smart programming from JuggernautAI.
My Tips:
- You don’t work with a live coach through this app. It’s entirely AI-based, so set your expectations for that.
- The app does take some getting used to, but after your first couple of workouts, you should be good to go.
- Engage in everything the app has to offer, such as logging your daily readiness, to get the most out of your program.
Is JuggernautAI Worth It?
Yes—a million times yes. The JuggernautAI app costs just $35 per month or $350 per year (you can get 10% off with code GARAGEGYM, making the monthly cost $31.49 per month). The level of personalization, modification, versatility, and accountability you get for the price is, quite frankly, insane. There are a million and one fitness apps out there that hover around the same price point, but most don’t offer anything nearly as comprehensive as JuggernautAI.
Great for:
- People who want to get stronger at the power lifts (squat, deadlift, bench)
- People who want to build muscle and develop overall strength
- People who want a balanced strength training routine without having to think too hard
Not recommended for:
- People who want one-on-one communication with a coach
- People who aren’t interested in weight training
- People who need a lot of accountability
Using the JuggernautAI App
The app was easy and simple to set up. When you download it, the app takes you through a series of prompts to get you ready for your programming. You’ll enter your name, age, weight, height, and other basic information, as well as details about your current training load, how long you’ve been training, what type of training you do, how many times per week you want to train, and your goals. The AI takes all of this into account when building your program.
Once you get setup, the dashboard initially feels somewhat overwhelming. There’s a lot going on. But after poking around for a bit and getting familiar with the interface, it’s super easy to use. I wish there was an option to toggle between dark and light modes (if there is, I haven’t found it), because the blue-on-black design can be tough to read sometimes.
I pretty much stay on one tab within the app, which is the tab where your workouts live. There are three main tabs: Dashboard, which tells you how far along you are in your program and gives you an overview of your week; workouts, where you follow along with your plan for the day; and exercises, where you can find demo videos and written cues for all of the movements JuggernautAI programs.
You can also easily navigate to your profile to change information about your account, such as if your body weight changes or you want to update your programming to have more or fewer workout days.
Fitness Assessment
One thing most fitness apps lack is an initial assessment. As a personal trainer, I know just how important assessments are to create safe and effective exercise programming. I honestly don’t think assessments are negotiable, and I cringe a little when beginners tell me how they started XYZ program without any sort of evaluation.
Of course, an assessment given by AI is limited compared to one given by an in-person professional. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the thoroughness of the fitness assessment in the JuggernautAI training app. The app can’t analyze your exercise form, but it does use an Expert System AI to build an effective program with proper exercise selection based on your inputs. You’ll enter information about your previous fitness experience, personal records (PRs), recovery, weak points, and much more. You get much more than a template when you use JuggernautAI: It builds an extremely personalized, progressive fitness program unique to you.
Accountability
The JuggernautAI app provides a step above what most fitness apps offer in terms of accountability, but not nearly as much accountability as having a live coach.
For me, using Juggernaut was a big increase in accountability, because before, I was only accountable to myself. And that makes it easy to lose motivation or discipline. Going from that to the app was a big improvement for me, largely because of the fact that I was no longer responsible for writing my own workouts. I also don’t like to feel like I’m getting behind, and having scheduled workout days makes me less likely to bail.
In terms of interactivity, you’re really just interacting with the app. I personally like this, as I don’t have a desire for a live coach, but others may feel like the app isn’t interactive enough. You do interact with the app quite a lot compared to other fitness apps because of all of the readiness logging, logging weights/reps/sets, and answering the questionnaires in the beginning. I think the experience has a good level of interaction that holds you accountable but isn’t overwhelming or annoying.
Equipment Demands
There is an element of customization with the app that allows you to adjust your workouts based on what equipment you have available. But, you do have to have, at a minimum, a squat rack, a bench, a barbell, and weight plates. You can probably make it a long time with just those pieces of equipment, but it would also be helpful to have dumbbells, kettlebells, and resistance bands.
You can swap in exercises each day or for an entire block based on what you have handy. For instance, I normally work out in my home gym, where I have limited dumbbells and kettlebells. But if I decide to do a JuggernautAI workout at the CrossFit gym I go to twice a week, I can swap in a different move I might not normally do because of equipment restraints.
Logging Workouts, RPE, and More
Every day, the app prompts you to log your readiness for the workout in a few ways: On a scale of 1 to 5, it asks you to score your motivation level to train; how well you slept; if you ate enough calories that day; and how sore/fatigued your body is feeling.
In addition to your overall readiness, you’re supposed to log scores for soreness/fatigue for different muscle groups, and the app automatically adjusts your loads and rep scheme for the day based on what you log. For example, if I’m supposed to squat, but I say that my quads and glutes are extremely sore or fatigued, Juggernaut will decrease the load for that workout only (not the entire strength block).
Throughout the workout, you’ll also log ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and reps in reserve (RiR) so the app can adapt.
For example, I once was instructed to do three sets of 10 pull-ups, but I chose a lighter pull-up assistance band that day and reached an RPE 10 (max effort) on the second set. So, the app deleted the third set and had me stop at 2×10. This is a great feature for someone who tends to keep going even when they’re reached muscle failure.
The AI continues to adapt to your input over time, so the longer you use the app and the more diligently you log things, the smarter and more personalized your program will become.
JuggernautAI Workouts
Now let’s get to the meaty stuff: the workouts.
Let me just say this. I’ve been working out consistently for almost 10 years now, fluctuating between various levels of powerlifting, bodybuilding, endurance training (half-marathons), CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, and general fitness training. I’m far from a beginner. But my JuggernautAI training program made me feel like one.
The first week involved a lot of testing, because I’m the worst at keeping track of my PRs—I had to test for PRs to inform the algorithm. That was a tough week that left me hobbling.
I chose to follow a powerbuilding program, which mashes powerlifting and bodybuilding into one brutal, soul-crushing (but muscle-building!) plan. Each day begins with logging readiness, following a warmup, and then working through a series of compound exercises. My program included a variety of bilateral and unilateral exercises, as well as straight sets and supersets.
Rarely did I have a pure upper body or lower body day. Actually, I don’t think I exercised any muscle groups in isolation over the entire six weeks. The main focus was on the big three—squats, bench press, and deadlift—with “accessory” work like dumbbell Arnold press, hip thrusts, split squats, decline push-ups, barbell curls, and more sprinkled in.
My Results With JuggernautAI
To be honest, six weeks isn’t a very long time to see and feel palpable results from any workout program. I generally recommend clients follow a program for at least 12 weeks before jumping to something else because they “feel like it isn’t working.”
That said, I’ve definitely noticed some improvements over the last few weeks. I haven’t hit any new PRs yet, but I’ve felt a notable increase in my work capacity, as in I don’t get fatigued as quickly and feel like I can workout harder for longer. So far, it seems like my JuggernautAI program is improving my stamina, but I have no doubt that if I stick with the program longer, those results will transfer into the strength arena, too.
One notable example is that I’m able to consistently hit higher numbers in my known range for a given rep scheme on squats. For instance: I know I can squat 5×5 at 185 pounds; I’ve done it several times. However, it’s sometimes a stretch or impossible on a given day if I’m unusually sore or fatigued. I’ve had days where I have to drop down to 155-165 pounds for a 5×5 squat session. But it seems I’m able to hit 175-185 pounds more often or more consistently.
All of this to say: While I haven’t had any major breakthroughs in strength yet, I’m seeing more consistency in my strength levels.
I’ll also point out that I may be ruining the potential outcomes of JuggernautAI programming by still doing CrossFit two times per week. I’d likely see more significant results if I was focusing solely on the JuggernautAI programming.
One-Year Later: Do I Still Like Training With JuggernautAI?
I’ll cut right to the chase: I’ve been using JuggernautAI for a year now and it’s still one of the best fitness apps on the market. I started a new cycle on the app six weeks ago and I’ve already gained a lot of muscle mass that I lost while training for a triathlon.
The JuggernautAI training has also paid off in my triathlon training, as I’ve improved in all three disciplines: swimming, biking, and running.
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I feel great, too: My hips and knees feel strong on my runs, and I can summit the one available incline on a bike in South Florida much faster than before. So the programming has been working in more ways than one for me, and I definitely intend to continue following it, adjusting as needed based on my triathlon race schedule to allow for timely deloads.
Artificial intelligence is gaining steam everywhere, including in the fitness community, and in my opinion JuggernautAI seems to have the technology down-pat.
JuggernautAI Specs
| Cost | $35/month |
| Type of training | Powerlifting, powerbuilding |
| Format | App |
| Available on | iOS, Android |
| Live coach | No |
Customer Experience
I enjoyed my experience with JuggernautAI. The whole Juggernaut Training Systems experience is a good one: The website is clean and easy to navigate, there’s plenty of information online to learn about the company; and it’s easy to get in touch with customer support through the online chat.
Customer Reviews
There are a ton of JuggernautAI reviews online, and the vast majority are positive. Most reviews say the app is a great alternative to a personal trainer if you can’t afford one-on-one strength coaching, and I agree. I think it offers a high level of accountability and comprehensiveness for the price.
Final Verdict of Our JuggernautAI Review
At just $35/month ($31.49 with code GARAGEGYM), this is a phenomenal value. There are tons of other workout apps out there that simply serve up on-demand, pre-filmed workouts for $35 or more per month. This app is like getting the insights of a real coach with an expert system for next to nothing.
- If you’re looking for low-cost but effective powerlifting coaching, JuggernautAI is the app for you.
- It’s also a great choice for bodybuilders or those looking for overall strength training.
- There are better options out there for CrossFit, strongman training, endurance training, or mixed-modality training.
Final Rating
JuggernautAI
If you’re looking for affordable, but effective, powerlifting coaching, JuggernautAI is the app for you. It's also a great choice for bodybuilders or people interested in strength training.
Product Brand: JuggernautAI
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 35
Product In-Stock: InStock
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JuggernautAI FAQs
What is Juggernaut AI?
JuggernautAI is part of Juggernaut Training Systems (JTS). It’s an app-based workout app that creates powerlifting programs, bodybuilding programs, or powerbuilding programs.
How to sign up for JuggernautAI powerlifting?
You can learn more and sign up for the programming at jtsstrength.com or juggernautai.app. It’s available for iOS and Android.
How does JuggernautAI work?
JuggernautAI uses artificial intelligence and the concepts of periodization to create a strength training program for individual lifters based on their inputs, such as current PRs and goals.
How long do JuggernautAI workouts take?
Although they vary by programming, JuggernautAI workouts typically take around 45 minutes to a little over an hour.
How much does JuggernautAI cost?
JuggernautAI costs $35 per month or $350 per year, and it comes with a free two-week trial so you can be sure you’ll like it. You can save money by using code GARAGEGYM to bring the cost down to $31.49 per month.
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